Peabody Superintendent Dr. Vedala told the City Council on June 26 that the school district has reduced its central-office administrators since fiscal 2019 while adding teachers and student-facing staff, and described targeted changes the school committee approved after receiving council feedback.

The superintendent presented DESE (Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education) “radar” comparisons and multi‑year staffing and budget tables to show the district’s administrative counts are lower than many peers. "We have 53 more teachers, but we're supervising those teachers with 10 less administrators," he said, summarizing the district's staffing changes since FY19.

The nut graf: The school committee met June 23 after the council asked for more time to review the proposed school budget. That committee approved reallocations — moving two English‑language‑learner (ELL) teacher positions from some schools to higher‑need schools and restoring a fifth cluster on the Higgins eighth‑grade schedule — using turnover savings and unfilled positions to remain budget‑neutral; the full council then voted to approve the total education appropriation on June 26 amid sustained debate over whether administrative positions had been spared cuts.

Most important facts: Dr. Vedala said the school committee voted to reassign an ELL teacher from the Center and one from the South to Carroll and Welch to support higher‑need students. He told the council those moves were funded partly by two unfilled teaching positions at the Center School (a Grade 1 and a Grade 4 slot that had not been posted) and partly by about $150,000 in expected turnover savings. "So we're able to reduce grade 2 and 4 to 1 teacher next year...and make this change budget neutral," the superintendent said.

Councilors repeatedly pressed the administration about perceptions that classroom staff bore the bulk of cuts while administrators were insulated. Councilor Rosignol said constituent calls described "hits" to guidance and direct services, and asked whether the positions reallocated at the Center were new hires or reassignments; the superintendent replied the positions were unfilled and not a layoff. Councilor Peach and others urged clearer, earlier budget information and more public explanation of union classifications (Unit A/Unit B) and grant funding that support some roles.

Councilor Turco, who voted "no" on the education budget, said he remained concerned that executive and administrative staff did not take proportional reductions. Councilor Daigle said she feared denying the budget would harm students and chose to support approval while pressing for future changes. The council ultimately approved the mayor‑recommended education appropriation — including the district budget and the Essex North Shore Agricultural & Technical School assessment — by roll call (motion carried 8–3).

Background and context: Dr. Vedala highlighted accountability and recovery from the pandemic: he noted district accountability dropped in 2020–23 and then improved from 2023 to 2024, citing gains at Burke, Center and South schools. He credited new curriculum adoption and additions of special‑education teachers and counselors ("We've added 9.4 school adjustment counselors and 2 guidance counselors...a total of 11.4 counselors,") while acknowledging Carroll, Welch and the high school remain most in need.

Ending: Councilors and the superintendent agreed on the need for earlier, more transparent budget conversations and quarterly reporting; Dr. Vedala said the district already produces quarterly memos and posts budgets online, and he invited more collaborative meetings between the school administration and council ahead of next year's cycle.